Small is Beautiful: Sustainable Agriculture on the Osa Peninsula

I love chocolate and I love the earth, so when the two come together to form an organic sustainable farm that sounds like a good idea to me. Kobo Farm, founded by four brothers, does just this by including a cocao orchard among the many crops it grows here. The brothers had a vision to create a sustainable farm and went for it. It is not only a working farm, but also an educational center that ecotourists and locals visit. Here visitors learn about sustainable agriculture practices. Kobo Farm is leading a growing trend in the area towards sustainable agriculture coupled with microfarming. I’m betting chocolate will become the next big thing here too.

The Osa Peninsula is known as a hotspot for ecotourism. Sustainable agricultural practices being developed in the region include the fast gowing practice of micro-farming. The area suffers from multiple generations of poverty. Ecotourism plays a significant positive role in regional economic development. Cottage industry farming and cash crops strengthen the region’s economy. Small scale agricultural practices such as cocoa farming create economic opportunity for the local people. This practice is both economically and ecologically sustainable.

For the ecotourist and the chocolate lover, the Osa Peninsula offers great opportunities to learn about sustainable agriculture. Tours of the many experiments in micro farming and sustainable agriculture practices are available. Many of the farms accept volunteers where you can gain in-depth knowledge about sustainable agricultural practices. The key word for these practices is small-scale. There is an understanding that bigger is not necessarily better.

Touring these farms are not only educational, but also an adventure that can appeal to any ecotourist. And, chocolate could become a very valuable crop. It has the potention to lift many of the locals out of poverty. Many of the areas properties incorporate micro farming and it is a fast growing trend. As the demand for food grows and more and more people begin to want to control their food source, microfarming is gaining in popularity. Self-sufficiency along with sustainability is becoming increasingly important in this part of the world as a cultural value among local residents. In addition, the crops grown on these properties offer additional income source especially for those who grow cocoa.